"Cut From The Same Surly Star"

     The beginning of a story I've put on the back burner for now. 

    "Where is she? I have a message for her."
    "Juno? In the healer's' tent. I'd be careful if I were you, though."
     "I'll take my chances. It's important."
     "Suit yourself."
     Juno lay on her stomach on the cot. An old woman in a white uniform was hesitantly dabbing a strong-smelling liquid on her bare shoulder with a cloth. Juno twitched when it came directly in contact with her skin.
    "Nearly gotcher run through this time, dintcha?" the healer said, cackling to herself. Juno groaned and rolled her shoulders back.
     Nina peered in the tent for a moment, making eye contact with the old crone. She stared at the intruder and waved her free hand towards her.
    "Shoo, shoo! Get out of here! No visitin', no visitin!"
     Backing away, Nina brandished the scroll in the old woman's face. "I'm just here to deliver a message..."
     "Shoo, shoo!"
     "It's alright, Dora. Let her in," Juno said.
     The healer sighed and turned away from the tent flap. She shook her head when her eyes met Juno's.
     "If you wasn't Electra's favorite, you'd have been out on your arse by now."
     "Now, now, there's no need of that. If you can't hold your tongue long enough to do your job properly, then be off with you. I'll send someone to fetch you when you're needed next," said Juno, dismissing Dora with a wave of her hand. "Come along, Nina. She was just leaving."
    The younger woman backed away as Dora approached, muttering under her breath: “Cursed whelp, I hope yer wound festers…”
     Juno rolled over on her back as Nina withdrew into the tent, wincing when her injured shoulder made contact with the cloth.
    “Sorry about that. Dora can be a bit prickly at times. Now, what was this message you needed to give me?” she asked.
    "Here. It’s actually a letter from your sister,” Nina said, handing over the scroll. “I…guess I should be going now…”
    "No, no. That’s quite alright,” Juno said as she unrolled the parchment. “But if you have other business to attend to, I won’t stand in your way.”
   With a quick bow, Nina backed away towards the tent flap and disappeared behind it.
    "Now, Rhea, let’s see what nonsense you have to report this time…”
   Her sister’s handwriting was a childish scrawl.
Juno,
Father is dead.
  No time to explain.
Please return home immediately.
Yrs,
Rhea
   “Father…dead?” Juno said to herself. Sitting up too quickly,  she felt a stinging pain surge through her shoulder. “No…” She felt her breath catch in her throat. “No, it can’t be…”